Machine for



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W H LOW ENVELOP MACHINE.

No. 14,643. Patented Apr. 8, 1856.

3 sheets-sheen.

W. H. Low. ENYELQ'P MACHINE.

No. 14,643. Patented Apr. '8, 1856.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. H. LOW. ENVBLOP MACHINE.

No. 14,643. Patented Apr. 8, 1856.

w WMWM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WM. H. LOW, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR MAKING- ENVELO'PS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 14,643, dated April 8, 1856.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Low, of thecity and county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new anduseful Machine for the Manufacture of Envelops from a WVeb or ContinuousSheet of Paper;

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,in which Figure l is a side elevation, showing a portion of the workingparts in section; Fig. 2, a plan, (with a portion of the upper worksremoved to exhibit more clearly the operation of the machine,); Fig. 3 afront elevation; Fig. 4 is a front view of the folding plate andholders; Fig. 5 a back view of the folding plate, and the apparatus foroperating the folders; Fig. 6, a front view of the sliding head, showingthe position of the knife; Fig. 7, an enlarged view of the cam movement,showing its operation; Fig. 8, an enlarged side view of the folders;Fig. 9 a front view of same.

A, is the framework; B, a face plate having in its center a hole of thesize of the finished envelop; C, a sliding head to which the knife,creasing block, and lower gummer are attached; 0, rod or pitman tosliding head; 0, a pin between two disks, and working into a notch inthe end of the rod 0; D, a hollow slide, or follower, having aperforated head of the size of the finished envelop; d, a cam, composedof an outside and inside form, forming a groove in which the pin of thecrank d, runs, thereby giving the requisite motion to the slide D towhich the cam is attached; cl a valve in top of slide; d, a spring, orbar, so constructed as to allow the valve to pass freely under it as theslide is drawn back, but which raises it as it returns forward, allowingit to again close before the full stroke is completed; E, e, e, shaftshaving the same rate of speed; F, F, F, F, miter wheels; G, cog wheel;g, pinion; 9, double arm; 9, driving crank; 9, a pawl working into thecogs of the wheel G,these combined forming the driving apparatus to thefeeding rollers; H, a reel for holding the paper; I, a wiper foroperating the folding apparatus through the means of the lever 2', anditsc0nnections; J, a knife formed to the shape of the blank to be cut,and so arranged that its upper edge leaves the paper out to nearly L areceiver for heatin air b means of a lamp, or other device; M, an airpump; m, valve seat, or chest, for same; 011/ a suction pipe, to whichis attached a flexible tube connecting to the follower D, m, an eductionpipe having one of its ends connected to the receiver L, m a hot airpipe having its side next the paper perforated: N, N, reservoirs forliquid gum; n, n, pipes for conveying the gum from the reservoirs to thegummers; O, O, feeding rollers; O, O, tension rollers for keeping thepaper in a state of tension while being operated on by the knife andgummers, both pairs of theserollers are held in contact by means ofscrews, springs or other mechanical device; P, P, guide rods for slidinghead C; Q, a crank for working air pump. R, R, R, R, fingers or foldershinged to the slides 7", 1", 1", r, by which they are moved; .9, s, s,s, springs for holding the points of the fingers raised; T, a slidingbar; t, t, t, levers connected with, and operated by, sliding bar T; 6',connection between sliding bar T, and working lever 2', U, the foldingplate, upon which the folding apparatus is placed; V, creasing block;W', projection on back of the fingers R; X, projection on front of thefingers R, by means of which they are closed as they slide in cont-actwiththe sides of the head of the follower D. The continuous red line inFig. 1, shows the'course of the web of paper from the reel to. thefeeding rollers.

In operating the machine, motion is given to the shafts E, e, e, whichcarries the pin 0, into the notch in the endvof the rod 0, when, as therevolution is continued, the sliding head 0, is carried forward forcingthe knife over the blocks j, j, j, j, shearing out the blank from theintervening web of paper, after which the sliding head is car ried backby springs 79,19 to its first position, when the notch in the end of therod is caused to be freed from its contact with the pin by therevolution of the shafts,thus

the cut is made during a very short portion of the revolution of themachine.

As the blank is cut out it is gummed on the edge of one of its flaps, bymeans of a gummer placed inside of the knife; this gummer as well as theother used in this machine is made of a metal rim, filled with sponge,or other porous material, and connected to the reservoir N, by means ofthe pipe n; the motion of the head C, also moves forward the uppergummer 73', by means of the levers K, 70, 7c, and their attachments,thereby applying the gum to the paper intended for the sealing flap farenough in advance of its being cut to admit of its being dried by meansof a current of heated air forced upon it by the air pump M, receiver L,and their attachments as hereinbefore described.

After the blank is cut and gummed, it is forced against the face of theperforated head of the follower D, by the creasing block V, which alsocreases it to the form. of the folded envelop, and causes it to cover vthe perforations in the head of the follower. Slmultaneous with thisoperation a vacuum is formed 1n the follower D, by means of the air pumpM, and suction pipe m, hold- I ing the blank to the face of thefollower, by 3 means of the pressure of the atmosphere,

while it is drawn back through the hole in the plate B, by means of camcl, and the crank (Z, whereby the flaps receive a preliminary foldnearly at right angles with the face of the envelop; the follower isdrawn back until it passes into the opening of the folding plate U,where it remains at a state of rest during about a fourth of arevolution of the crank, as represented in' Fig. 7, the peculiar form ofthe cam al1owing the pin to pass freely through the groove where thesame is made coincident with the circle described by the crank pin,while the follower is thus standing at rest, the wiper I, strikes theend of the lever 2', thereby movin the slidin bar T which movin b b 7 2Dthe levers t, t, t, force forward the slides r, r, r, 7-, and theirrespective folders, in the'following succession, at the first movementof the bar T, by means of the levers t, t, the slides r, r, moveforward, their fingers folding down the end flaps, when the sliding barhas made one half its movement the slot upon its side strikes the pin ofthe lever t, moving forward the slide r, and its finger,'making thefreshly gummed flap adhere tothe two end ones. Finally when the bar hascompleted about two thirds of its movement, the slot in its lower endstrikes the pin in the slide, r, moving it forward, its fingercompleting the folding of the flaps, when the bar, T, is again drawnback by means of springs, or other mechanical device. The fingers, R,are hinged to the slides, r, and their points slightly raised by meansof the springs, S, acting on the projections, W, until the slide worksup in contact with the sides of the head of the follower, D, theprojections, X, strike, and fold down the fingers closely.

By this combination of the sliding and folding movement the danger ofrubbing the paper away from over the perforations is obviated, and asmooth fold obtained. After the folding has been completed, and thefingers drawn back, the follower, D, is moved forward sufficiently toallow the envelop to drop clear of the fingers, when the valve, d,striking the end, or the point, of the spring (Z, is raised, admits air,and breaks the vacuum in the follower, D, thereby allowing the envelopto drop from the face of the follower, which again remains at a state ofrest for nearly a fourth of a revolution, affording time for the envelopto drop out of the way, when the pin of the crank, d, striking thestraight portion of the cam forces the follower forward ready to receivethe next blank.

The feeding of the paper, which is efiect- .ed while the knife isstanding at rest, is

the rollers, by which means motion is given to the rollers during onehalf of the revolution of the machine, they remaining at rest during theremainder of it.

I do not confine myself to the particular manner herein described ofgiving motion to the sliding bar, T, as it may be effected with equalfacility by other mechanical devices, nor do I confine myself to placingthe adjustable blocks, 7', j, j, inside of the knife, as they may bemade equally effective on the outside of it, by making the cutting edgeon the outside of the knife.

I am aware that atmospheric pressure has been previously employed inenvelop machinery simply for the purpose of feeding the blanks to thefolding apparatus. I therefore do not claim its use for that purpose.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. Thecutting out of the blank by a shearing cut, substantially as hereindescribed, and for the purpose of making a smooth out.

2. I claim the position of the knife to economize the waste of paper,substantially as described.

3. I claim, drawing the blank through the hole in the face plate, B,thereby giving to the flaps a preliminary fold.

4. I claim, holding the blank by means of atmospheric pressure While thefolders hollow slide, D, and for the purposes set are operating. forth.

5. I claim, the adjustable blocks 7', j, j, j, 9. I claim, the mode offolding the finger,

substantially as described. R, substantially as described and for the 56. I claim, drying the gum for the sealpurpose set forth.

i in flap by means of a current of heated air. T I claim, feeding thepaper to the knife WILLIAM by means of the feeding rollers, O, O.Witnesses:

8. I claim, the cam movement, substan- JAMES A. GREIG,

l0 tially as described, in combination with the JOHN G. FELLMAN.

